Module 7 Unified Course Pack CWTS 1 2022 2023
Module 7 Unified Course Pack CWTS 1 2022 2023
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Within the session series, the NSTP students will be able to:
Present – Part 1
Topic 1: What Is Self-Awareness and Why Is It Important?
https://positivepsychology.com/self-awareness-matters-how-you-can-be-more-self-aware/
Self-awareness is the ability to see yourself clearly and objectively through
reflection and introspection.
While it may not be possible to attain total objectivity about oneself (that’s a debate that
continues to rage throughout the history of philosophy), there are certainly degrees of self-
awareness. It exists on a spectrum.
Although everyone has a fundamental idea of what self-awareness is, we don’t know
exactly where it comes from, what its precursors are, or why some of us seem to have more or
less than others.
This is where the Self-Awareness Theory comes in, offering some potential answers to
questions like these.
Definition of self-awareness:
1. Self-awareness is the capacity that a person has to introspect.
2. It includes gaining an understanding of and insight into one’s strengths, qualities,
weaknesses, defects, ideas, thoughts, beliefs, ideals, responses, reactions, attitude,
emotions and motivations.
3. Thus introspection also includes assessing how one is perceived by others and
4. How others are impacted based on one’s behaviour, responses and conduct.
Psychologists often break self-awareness down into two different types, either public or private.
1. Public Self-Awareness: This type emerges when people are aware of how they
appear to others. Public self-awareness often emerges in situations when people are at
the centre of attention, such as when giving a presentation or talking to a group of
friends. This type of self-awareness often compels people to adhere to social norms.
When we are aware that we are being watched and evaluated, we often try to behave in
ways that are socially acceptable and desirable. In short we display our best behaviour,
which may not be reflective of our true personality. Public self-awareness can also lead
to ‘evaluation anxiety’ in which people become distressed, anxious, or worried about
how they are perceived by others.
As Annette becomes more alert to introspecting about her feelings and emotions in such
situations, there will be further stages to her becoming more self-aware. For example,
How long does her restlessness continue before she becomes alert to it?
Will she then be able to put the brakes on it and control the feeling of restlessness?
Does she try to go within and learn more about herself and her personality defects?
Where else does this type of restlessness occur? Who else are involved?
Suppose Raul stopped for a moment and looked at the situation objectively; he would
probably learn a thing or two about how others perceived him. When other people give
us some feedback however stern it may be, it provides us with a clue as to how we are
perceived by others. If someone has experienced pain due to our actions, it is mostly
due to some personality defect in us that is causing our action to impact others
adversely.
J
Jeremy and Ruth were arguing about household chores. Ruth insisted that Jeremy was
not doing enough at home while Jeremy continued to provide lame excuses about why he was
unable to do the household chores on time. When their friend Mark overheard their argument,
he realised that he was the same as Jeremy. Now as a third person and not being emotionally
involved, Mark could objectively see that Jeremey’s lame excuses were childish and illogical,
and were exasperating his wife Ruth. Seeing the impact of this, Mark made a mental resolve to
overcome his own laziness and help his own wife at home without making any excuses.
This is an example of how when one observes a situation that involves other people,
one gains a greater understanding of oneself. As one may not be emotionally involved in the
situation, one is more objective and hence the ability to learn is more.
Our dreams can also tell us about ourselves
Sometimes stronger impressions in our subconscious mind surface in our dreams to the
extent that we are able to remember the dream and even learn about our mind.
One seeker had a dream where she was experiencing fear before going on stage to deliver a
lecture. She woke up in a sweat and could not go back to sleep for over an hour. Such kinds of
dreams are worth introspecting upon as they may shed some light on deeper issues in our sub-
conscious mind.
In summary
Becoming self-aware is the first step in overcoming personality defects.
Self-awareness can be achieved through observing one’s own mistakes, asking others
for feedback, observing others mistakes objectively and through some dreams.
Whenever one becomes emotionally unstable, restless or upset one should become alert
as on deeper introspection, it usually provides insight into some personality defect that
has been triggered.
We should be open to learning about ourselves and have the courage to take feedback
from others. By this we can objectively analyse our mistakes and find practical solutions
to change for the better.
Building self-awareness should be a top priority for virtually all clients, after which
the more traditional coaching and counseling work can begin. For example, you can counsel
someone on their bad habits and give 1,000 ways to break their habits. Still, if they don’t
understand why they tend towards these bad habits in the first place, it’s almost a guarantee
that they will either never break those habits or will quit for a while and simply pick up where
they left off when things get tough.
Self-awareness is not only vital for the coachee or client; it is also important for the coach or
counselor. In fact, self-awareness is prioritized as a core standard in the Council for
Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Standards (2009) for
the profession, as both a requirement for counselors and a necessary skill to build in clients. It
takes a good amount of self-awareness to give competent counsel and provide actionable
advice.
Plus, self-awareness will help the caring counselor from getting too wrapped up in their client’s
problems or seeing the issues through their own skewed lens. To truly help someone, it’s
essential to see things from their perspective, and that requires being self-aware enough to put
our thoughts and feelings aside sometimes.
Meditation, Mindfulness, and Self- Awareness
When we meditate or practice mindfulness, we are paying attention to the things that
can often get ignored in our busy day-to-day: the present moment and our own internal
experience. Those who get to know their thought processes and patterns are more able to
adapt and improve them, both by simply being aware of their processes and patterns and by
giving themselves a mechanism for practicing and improving.
Indeed, a program intended to enhance self-awareness (among other things) through
yoga and meditation resulted in a range of improvements, including more positive affect, less
stress, greater mindfulness, enhanced resilience, and even greater job satisfaction (Trent,
Borden, Miraglia, Pasalis, Dusek, & Khalsa, 2019).
Self-Awareness & Emotional Intelligence
3. Spend quality time together and apart. This is especially important for romantic
relationships, as we often find ourselves spending most or even all of our free time with
our spouse or partner. However, much you love and enjoy spending time with your
partner, everyone needs some quality time alone.
Make sure you and your partner are both getting some quality “me” time to think about
what you want, what you need, and what your goals are. This will help you keep
yourself from merging too much into your partner and maintaining your independence
and stability. Then, since there will be two independent, stable, and healthy adults in
the relationship, it will be even more fulfilling and satisfying to both partners when they
spend quality time together.
4. Share your perspective and consider theirs. It’s easy to get too caught up in our
perspective on things; however, healthy relationships require that we consider others’
needs in addition to our own. To know what our loved ones need and to deliver on
those needs, we must first identify and understand them. We do this by practicing our
self-awareness and sharing that awareness with our friends and family.
If you never check in with your loved ones on their views or feelings, it can cause you to
drift apart and inhibit real, satisfying intimacy. Ask your loved ones for their perspective
on things and share your perspective with them.
Role in the Workplace and Leadership
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NSTP-CWTS Take-Away – 10
Am I Self-Aware?
Name: ______________________ Prog./Yr./Sec.: __________ Date: ________ Score: _______
Due Date:____________________
So we know that self-awareness is good, but what does it look like? How does one
practice self-awareness?
Bob at work
Bob struggles with creating a quarterly report at work, and he frequently produces subpar
results. He notices the discrepancy between his standards and performance and engages in
self-evaluation to determine where it comes from and how to improve.
He asks himself what makes the task so hard for him, and he realizes that he never seems to
have trouble doing the work that goes into the report, but he struggles with writing it up
cohesively and clearly.
Bob decides to fix the discrepancy by taking a course to improve his writing ability, having a
colleague review his report before submitting it, and creating a reusable template for future
reports, so he is sure to include all relevant information.
Without self-awareness, what would be the situation that Bob would encounter?
Explain.
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Monique at home
Monique is having relationship problems with her boyfriend, Luis. She thinks Luis takes her for
granted and he doesn’t tell her he loves her or share affection enough. They fight about this
frequently.
Suddenly, she realizes that she may be contributing to the problem. She looks inward and sees
that she doesn’t show Luis appreciation very often and that she overlooks the nice things he
does around the house for her and little physical touches that show his affection.
Monique considers her thought processes when Luis misses an opportunity to make her feel
loved and notes that she assumes he purposely avoids doing things that she likes. She spends
time thinking and talking with Luis about how they want to show and receive love, and they
begin to work on improving their relationship.
Bridget struggles with low self-esteem, which causes depressive symptoms. She doesn’t feel
good enough, and she doesn’t accept opportunities that come her way because of it. She
begins working with a therapist to help her build self-awareness.
The next time an opportunity comes her way, she thinks she doesn’t want to do it and initially
decides to turn it down; but, with the help of some self-awareness techniques, Bridget realizes
that she is only telling herself she doesn’t want to do it because of her fear that she won’t be
good enough.
Bridget reminds herself that she is good enough and redirects her thoughts to “what if I
succeed?” instead of “what if I fail?” She accepts the opportunity and continues to use self-
awareness and self-love to improve her chances of success.
Without self-awareness, what would be the situation that Bridget would encounter?
Explain.
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Present – Part 2
Topic 2: Transformational Leadership: A Closer Look at the Effects of
Transformational Leadership
By Kendra Cherry
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-transformational-leadership-2795313
Have you ever been in a group where someone took control of the situation by
conveying a clear vision of the group's goals, a marked passion for the work, and an ability to
make the rest of the group feel recharged and energized? This person just might be what is
called a transformational leader.
Transformational leadership is a leadership style that can inspire positive changes in
those who follow. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and
passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also
focused on helping every member of the group succeed as well.
Quick Background
The concept of transformational leadership was initially introduced by leadership expert
and presidential biographer James MacGregor Burns. According to Burns,
transformational leadership can be seen when "leaders and followers make each other to
advance to a higher level of moral and motivation." 1
Through the strength of their vision and personality, transformational leaders are able to
inspire followers to change expectations, perceptions, and motivations to work towards
common goals.
Later, researcher Bernard M. Bass expanded upon Burns's original ideas to develop what
is today referred to as Bass’s Transformational Leadership Theory. According to Bass,
transformational leadership can be defined based on the impact that it has on followers.
Transformational leaders, Bass suggested, garner trust, respect, and admiration from their
followers.2
Components
Bass also suggested that there were four different components of transformational leadership.
1. Intellectual Stimulation: Transformational leaders not only challenge the status quo;
they also encourage creativity among followers. The leader encourages followers to
explore new ways of doing things and new opportunities to learn.
2. Individualized Consideration: Transformational leadership also involves offering
support and encouragement to individual followers. In order to foster supportive
relationships, transformational leaders keep lines of communication open so that
followers feel free to share ideas and so that leaders can offer direct recognition of the
unique contributions of each follower.
3. Inspirational Motivation: Transformational leaders have a clear vision that they are
able to articulate to followers. These leaders are also able to help followers experience
the same passion and motivation to fulfill these goals.
4. Idealized Influence: The transformational leader serve as a role model for followers.
Because followers trust and respect the leader, they emulate this individual and
internalize his or her ideals.
So what are some typical signs of a transformational leader? Groups led by this type of
leader tend to be both successful and loyal. They give a lot to the team and care deeply about
the group's ability to accomplish its goals. Turnover tends to be quite low as transformational
leaders are able to inspire a great deal of commitment in their followers.
Effects
In their classic text, Transformational Leadership, authors Bass and Riggio explained:
Researchers have found that this style of leadership can have a positive effect on the
group.
"Research evidence clearly shows that groups led by transformational leaders have higher levels
of performance and satisfaction than groups led by other types of leaders," explained
psychologist and leadership expert Ronald E. Riggio in an article for Psychology Today.3
The reason, he suggests, is that transformational leaders believe that their followers can
do their best, leading members of the group to feel inspired and empowered.
Being genuine, passionate, supportive, and trustworthy are all key characteristics that
will help motivate followers to support your goals for the group.
Link to Well-Being
According to the results of one study, this style of leadership can also have a positive
influence on employee well-being.4
Real-World Applications
So what impact could such results have for managers and workers?
The study's authors suggest that the results are important and can help companies
develop leadership training programs that can be used to teach transformational leadership
skills. Acquiring communication skills such as resolving conflicts in the workplace and
recognizing the needs of employees are an important part of transformational leadership.
One way to improve your own leadership skills is to assess your own current leadership
style and think about ways in which your strengths can benefit the group you are leading. By
evaluating your own skills, you will be better able to play to your strengths and work on
improving your areas of weakness.
Practice – Part 2
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NSTP-CWTS Take-Away – 11
“Unleashing the leadership within Me”
This is our fifth in a series of posts from the Book Rapper issue Authentic. It’s derived from Rob
Goffee and Gareth Jones’ book Why Should Anyone Be Led By You that discusses what it takes
to be an authentic leader.
Leadership Situations
Leadership is contextual or situational. And, it begins with being sensitive to the current
context. Here’s some situation sensing strategies for super effective leadership.
1 Individuals
As a leader you need to know your team beyond their technical competence. You’ll want to
know who they are as people. And, focus on observing the individuals that make the biggest
impact on your performance. Develop a network diagram of soft data about these individuals.
Record systematically what drives them.
2 Groups
A group is more than the sum of its members. It’sa complex social structure with its own
culture, rules and adopted behaviours. Observe any group tensions, mismatches and difficulties.
Notice the group balance between tasks (getting things done) and relationships (what holds the
team together). Map these relationships. And, remember, diverse groups outperform
homogenous ones in the long run.
3 Organisation
It’s much tougher to get a sense of the whole organisation because it’s impossible to see it all
at once. This is particularly important for global groups with teams in remote locations. The key
strategy is create the bigger picture from a bunch of smaller snapshots. Keep updating this.
Listen to different opinions and where possible take a first hand look to decide for yourself.
Three Skill Sets
1. Observe what’s going on – As a leader you will be presented with lots of hard data.
You need to fill the gaps with soft data built from your observations. For example, know
when morale is low or when complacency needs a kick. Learn to trust your instincts and
avoid rushing into action before fully understanding the situation.
2. Adjust your behaviour – Noticing what is happening is a waste if you’re not willing to
adapt and modify to suit what you see. It’s about being an authentic chameleon –
showing a different side of you as the situation demands. For example, know when to
create closeness or distance, leverage strengths or reveal weaknesses.
3. Change the situation – Leaders are not passive recipients of context. Your role is to
transform situations to benefit your followers and fulfil the purpose of the organisation.
For example, reframe what is going on to inspire the desired action and response.
QUESTION 1:
Which of the three leadership contexts do you prefer? Working with individuals, groups or the
organization?
QUESTION 2: Which of the three skills sets is your strength? Which is your weakness?
Perform
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I am a good leader!
Name: __________________ Prog./Yr./Sec.: ______ Date: ___ Score: _______
Due Date:_______________
Activity:
Organize or facilitate a very simple activity in your barangay or within your family showcasing
your leadership skills - activity in any form.
Note: Attach a copy of pictures as documentation evidence during the conduct of the activity.
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What were the challenges or obstacles you encountered along the way?
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